Many people have been inquiring about which bike I will be riding in the 2012 Dakar Rally. Some of you may know that I work for the BMW Performance Center in Greer, SC. Since BMW no longer offers a current model compatible with the new regulations and I would like to stay within the BMW Group, I have partnered with Husqvarna Motorcycles NA to showcase the 449 model line.

Today I received the first of three Husqvarna bikes, a TXC 449. Another TXC and a TE will be arriving shortly. We will be combining the best of both the TE and TXC to create the TXE 449R, Trademark Bill Conger… possibly. The plan is to build one race bike, disassemble one bike for spares, and have one test and practice bike remaining.

I have a lot of work to do between now and mid-October and will update you on the build process as it progresses.